Infant massage

04-14-2008, 11:45 AM

I was wondering...is infant massage something that should be learned or is it just as effective if you just massage your baby the way you think you should. I mean are there specific techniques that are proven beneficial. If so, I would take a class or watch a video, etc.

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there IS a book, it's called Infant Massage: a Handbook for Loving Parents by Vimala Schneider McClure. it used to be on API's recommended book list. i found it very helpful, even though i read it beyond the infant stage. it does offer techniques and talks about using voice during the massage. but i am also a huge proponent of maternal instinct. moms never used to have books to read, but massage has been around for many centuries. so go w/your gut until you're able to do more reading.

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I, too, have read (and used) Infant Massage: A Handbook for Loving Parents and found it to be very effective. There are ideas for massages to ease/comfort minor illnesses, colic, fussing, etc. The book also has several pictures to show how to do each massage. It might be worth borrowing from your local library.

Comment

i'm taking a 4 sessions class on infant massage now and find it not very useful. My parenting is so 'touch intensive' that I find myself massaging my child even without someone telling me what and how to do it. I find the class a waste of time really. Almost all moms in my class are not practicing attachment style paretning... they speak of letting the infant CIO... sleep & play alone, etc.. so I think in that situation, the special one-to-one session of massage is good for the baby. In my case, I'm never apart from him and he doesn't care much for massage sessions.

If u have a colic infant or high needs... that might be a diff. story.